


Stars Don't Shine in Singular Places

by runicmagitek



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gifts, Long-Distance Relationship, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:08:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24703570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/runicmagitek/pseuds/runicmagitek
Summary: Besides, he needed to find something for Winry—a gift to remember him by when he inevitably traveled again.Al searches for a present for Winry in Xing.
Relationships: Alphonse Elric/Winry Rockbell
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Stars Don't Shine in Singular Places

**Author's Note:**

> for GYWO's 2020 Yahtzee [image prompt](http://x.getyourwordsout.net/prompts/pp041.jpg)

The first day—perhaps even the first week—proved to be a blur. Members of the Chang house ushered him from location to location, thrilled to have a foreign guest in their home. As anxious as he was for his Alkahestry lessons, Alphonse longed for a lull in the hectic hours. Not for rest, but to escape onto the streets and explore what Xing had to offer.

Besides, he needed to find something for Winry—a gift to remember him by when he inevitably traveled again.

His attention drifted more than he wanted to admit; he missed her. He wished she could have accompanied him on his trip to the east, but she had her own aspirations. What was she to do while he was occupied, anyways? After everything she experienced, she deserved something peaceful, something normal. Maybe tinkering with automail wasn’t exactly _peaceful_ , but it made her happy. And Alphonse’s entire soul glowed when she was happy.

When the stars seemingly aligned and his schedule cleared, Alphonse evaded an afternoon gathering for tea to wander the streets. The narrow paths were packed with market stands, couriers, and interested buyers. Eclectic trinkets contrasted rich silks and cottons on display. Between booths were food vendors, slaving over open flames to cook as if it were alchemy itself. The scents and colors were equally vibrant and lush; he could almost taste the baozi in the air.

Through the dense crowds, he paused. Past the eclectic stands was a boutique tucked in the back. Crystal pendulums shaped like stars and moons dangled in the window display, the light twinkling in the facets. Beneath them stood an assortment of miniature animals with exaggerated, yet adorable features. Alphonse focused on the one resembling Mei’s cat. Wait, no, what was it called again? The answer was beyond him, yet the display enticed him to enter.

Bells announced his arrival. The bustle of the streets fell to a muffled sound as the door closed behind him. New scents permeated the interior: smoked incense and fresh peonies. Candles flickered on wooden shelves, highlighting the delicate trinkets for sale. Before he lost himself in the wonder of every item, he returned to the window where he found the figurines.

_Winry would like these, right?_ He picked up the lizard with oversized teeth and the smiling elephant. _She_ _’s always been an animal person. No dogs here, but it’ll be something new._ He paused and quirked his lips to the side. _But_ _… which one should I get?_

He imagined each animal somewhere at Winry’s workshop. Maybe the lizard would keep her sketches company or the black and white cat would guard her toolbox. Decisions, decisions.

“Something catch your eye?”

An older woman appeared beside him, barely reaching his shoulder in height. Alphonse regarded her and the whimsical cat emblem on the sleeve of her outfit, identical to the logo etched into the store’s signage. He smiled, yet nervous laughter spilled from his lips.

“More than one thing,” he admitted. “I think my biggest concern is narrowing it down.”

She smiled, as well. “A souvenir for yourself? Or perhaps a loved one?”

_Geez, that obvious I_ _’m not from around here?_ He raked his fingers through his blond hair until they settled at his neck. “Someone back home. She’s uh—”

Blush warmed his face. What exactly _were_ they? Neither of them discussed a concrete definition before he departed; there wasn’t exactly a need to do so. But when she waited with him at the train station and inched closer before saying goodbye and mentioned how she would think about him every day in his absence, only to laugh and confess it wouldn’t be more than what she already did… it stayed in his mind throughout his travels, even during his lessons. What did she mean by that? He didn’t ask due to the conductor yelling the final call for boarding. Then again, the pink complexion on her cheeks said enough.

“Someone special?” the woman asked.

Alphonse drew in a breath as he broke free from his memories. “Yeah.”

A knowing smirk lined her face. “I think I can help.”

* * *

No matter how light he packed, Alphonse always returned with more than what he initially brought. This time, he didn’t have a suit of armor to stash his belongings in. He dragged two suitcases behind him down the streets of Rush Valley while balancing various bags secured over his shoulders. Sweat formed on his skin, but he ignored the unbearable heat to push onwards.

Little had changed since he left; Rush Valley remained the center for automail, the sun nearly blinded him, and a particular shop was packed. Through the thick, boisterous crowd flowing in and out of Rockbell Automail, he nudged his way inside. Alphonse welcomed the shade, but the stale air remained. Peering over countless heads, he sought for her.

Like always, he heard her before he saw her.

In the back, she argued with a man who neglected daily maintenance on his automail leg. The words blended with the white noise of idle conversation, but there was no mistaking the cadence of Winry’s lectures. Alphonse smiled, inching closer until she came into view. Most recognized her as a stunning mechanic and budding engineer. Others mistook her as a pretty blonde who wasn’t a threat. Those same people soon deemed her bark to be as miserable as her bite—as they should. For Alphonse, he looked to Winry and his heart skipped and his mouth dried and his stomach flipped until all there was left was her.

Then she caught his eye, paused mid-sentence, and grinned. “Al! Your back!”

She abandoned her client to charge for him and leap into his arms. Alphonse possessed enough wits to release his suitcases in time to brace for impact. Warmth crushed him. Featherlight fingertips grazed the back of his neck. A metallic scent mixed with something else—like freshly fallen summer rain at dawn—filled his lungs. And she was there, nuzzling into his neck and squeezing him tight.

“I missed you,” she murmured into his jawline.

He ignored the pleasant chill racing up his spine and embraced her. “Missed you, too, Winry.”

She pulled back first, though still close enough to brush her nose with his. “I wasn’t expecting you for another two weeks.”

“Things moved along quickly,” he said. “I… wanted to see you first thing.”

Her cheeks grew pink. Or maybe the heat was to blame. “Did you?”

“Mmm.” With a nod, he reluctantly released her. Winry gently rested her palms on his chest while he shrugged off a bag. “Somewhere in here,” he said, rummaging for a particular item, “is something for you.”

A tiny gasp, then, “For me?”

“Of course. I couldn’t come home without getting something for you from Xing. Ah!” He plucked out a box the size of his open hand, wrapped in red satin and gold ribbons. “Here you go.”

Winry clutched her hands together, a barely audible squeak leaving her. Gingerly accepting the box, she unlaced the ribbons and wrapping, perhaps the most careful he ever witnessed her. The exterior of the gift fell, leaving a simple, white, unopened box. Once Winry cracked it open, her eyes widened and lips parted.

“I, uh….” Alphonse rubbed the back of his head. “I wasn’t sure what to get you or if you’d even like any of it, but I wanted you to have something nice. Something that—”

“Oh, Al.” She stared for a moment before returning her attention to him. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”

He thought he imagined her saying that. Just as he thought he imagined her standing on her tiptoes to press her lips into the corner of his mouth. None of it sank into him—not the time they spent catching up once she closed the shop nor the few days that followed. Whatever surreal fog he drifted through was surely a dream; any minute and he’d stir awake in Xing, miles from the girl he came to know as home.

But he woke in Winry’s guest room, where she begged him to stay over instead of crashing at a hotel. And she was in the kitchen, humming in front of a stove while frying pans sizzled. A rich, salty aroma lived in the air, but even the promise of breakfast escaped Alphonse.

He focused on the window over the sink, where a row of tiny Xingese animal statues stood. Above them dangled enough crystal star pendulums to craft a constellation. The sun caught in them, projecting an array of colors along the glass and windowsill.

“You like the home I made for them?” Winry ducked in to catch his eye. “I thought they’d be pretty by the window. Now whenever I’m lonely and gazing outside, they can keep me company.” She paused, but only briefly. “They’ll make me think of you.”

He grinned when she said that. The woman from the shop was right—the girl he loved deserved one of each.


End file.
